What the Ontario government has done to Brandon Mc-Carthy is thoughtless, shameful and cruel. The 21-year-old Ottawa man has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease of the muscles that has him confined to a wheelchair with a host of other related ailments, including heart and respiratory problems. ...
...the Ministry of Community and Social Services decided - against the recommendations of its own panel of health professionals - that Brandon and other muscular dystrophy sufferers with weight-loss issues will no longer receive the allowance. Muscular Dystrophy Ontario and Nunavut says it has received numerous complaints from sufferers who have been cut off. - Ottawa Citizen, Sept 8, 2011
The Ontario Liberal government has made a choice and it was not very humane. They have cut this young man off. No more money for a special diet he requires. They have done it to hundreds if not thousands of Ontario citizens that need this special help and have been receiving it until this spring.
I have seen it coming for awhile now. I work in a Non-Profit housing organization. We have a mix of market and non-market tenants. Most are non-market, meaning their housing is subsidized by the Ontario Government. Many are on ODSP. Over that last few months some of them have seen their diet allowance cut or slashed. It is creating a significant hardship on these people.
I was shocked to read that the Premier's constituency office suggested that Brandon start a petition. I was further shocked that the Premier's staff would not even call the Ministry to enquire on behalf of Brandon. Anyone with an ounce of common sense would see this is wrong and would try to fix it. The Premier and his staff have left it to the ODSP staff who seem bent on following in-adequate (perhaps immoral) regulations instead of doing the right thing.
Tim Hudak will likely be even less likely to correct this problem. I expected more from the Liberals as I am sure you did as well.
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1 comment:
I long ago ceased to expect anything humane from the Liberals who despite what they tell us are just another corporatist party that is in it for the rich and powerful.
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